Shadows of the Heart
by saron
Summary: - RE-MAKE VERSION - AU story with Hime and Otome character. As time passes memories start to fade. Try to forget and it will hunt you back one day... Chapter 2 is up
1. Chapter 00: Intro

**Author Note:** This is a re-make of my old story which i wrote long ago. I welcome all new readers. and also all old readers and hope you enjoy the re-make. for more information please read my profile or the Information which i put up on my old version of Shadows of the Heart ^^

A BIG thanks to Irina67 who helped me a lot with description and also checking for spell errors. Well Irinas native language isn't English, mine neither so if you see some errors please don't scream around or flame me^^"

enough talk hf with reading and leave some reviews please!

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**Shadows of the Heart**

_**Part 1**_

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**Intro**

**Alone she wandered through the cold night, along the streets of the city. Fearless she ignored the darkness around her. Many people were surrounding her, ****but she always felt alone. She never felt like one of them, as they treated her just that way. Nobody would care about her; nobody would wonder where she was or where she was heading to either. The full moon was reflecting in her eyes, an emerald shine was the only thing distinguishing on her black figure. Like a lone wolf her way was dark and empty. No future ahead planned just some thoughts considering the present, sometimes even the next day too.**

**Silently she was making her way. That's how she liked to be. The winter had almost arrived, her own breath forming a small fog in front of her. With her hands in her pockets she was walking steady steps towards her destination.**

**Cold outside, cold inside… The years of loneliness froze her feelings, turning them into hatred, living through abandonment, loss of loved ones, sadness. She slowly lost any warmth that a usual person could keep in their heart. Her genuine smile vanished giving its place to a mask she used to show to others. As years passed she was forming into the person that she was right now. **

**Surviving in the streets was something she learned fast, she had to or else she wouldn't have made it. Life out there was tough but she could handle it. Only there she could stay how she was. **

**Her name, Cold Heart. That's how everyone called her and she didn't mind. In fact it suited her purpose. She didn't want a name that held bounds with the past, that brought back memories that she wanted to forget. **

…

**No one should ever try to challenge the fate, try to prevent what has to happen. Running away from the past, trying to forget and proceed with your life was the same. Past always comes back to you and reminds you of what you want to forget. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow but it definitely comes back. Never think you can forget, erase from your memory something that will be forever a part of you. **

…

**Her task this time should have been nothing more than a small job. Nothing more as a simply robbery. Get in, steal the object and get out. Plain and fast, something that she was good at, being flexible and silent. Her safety wasn't getting in danger like that. Not that she wouldn't be able to handle that as well…**

**So easy. Too easy...**

**Luck wasn't on her side that night. She might have been a good companion during her previous jobs but this time she wasn't there with her. She managed to escape with the help of a mysterious girl, even if that wasn't like her at all.**

**Cold Heart had learnt to do everything alone, she never asked or ever accepted help from anyone. But she was no fool. This time she had no choice… But even like that, it still seemed as if it wasn't her day. The cops showed up in her hideout and captured her.**

…

**That night, at that place the wheels of fate turned, without her noticing it, made its way around her neck tightening its grip.**

…

**From the first moment that she met the mysterious girl she knew that she wasn't normal. Something inside told Cold Heart, that there was something common between them. ****The girl's interference into Cold Heart's life lead her to him. He appeared to her, offering her freedom of the present, freedom of the world she used to live till now.**

**She could have refused, the choice was hers alone... At least it seemed to be this way but was it really true? Being in such a situation, having a cross road in front of her after years of walking on the same street, Cold Heart had to decide which way to follow. **

**Either to accept or decline his proposal...**

**Without being aware of what she would get herself into Cold Heart accepted creating a vow between her and him. If anyone would ask her why she accepted she wouldn't know what to answer. Why did she accept anyway? Something on him always was irritating her, but she accepted what he offered. Maybe because deep inside she still had hope... Or even maybe because she could sense that he knew stuff about her that even herself wasn't aware of...?**

…

**From that day on everything changed. Things happened that changed her point of view of her life and of the surroundings. She was changing without even noticing. Was the Cold Heart warming up finally?**

**Who knows...**

**For sure she would never admit it. And her fate? It was about to show in front of her as time went by. In this play she was the starring character, not just a watcher waiting patiently to see what would happen next. She got to know more and therefore she would be able to face her enemies. The past returned but this time it wasn't a menace. That past defined her identity. And she could see. The curtain that was hanging in front of her eyes, not letting her to see clearly was withdrawn and she could finally take a look of what was in front of her, of what the world was really like. As if she woke up from a deep sleep she wasn't even aware she had taken.**

…

**As about that mysterious girl, step by step, slowly but steadily Cold Heart let her into her life. Chaining her fate with the girl's, without releasing it, stealing something which she would be never be able to give back.**

…

**Her dreams turned into faces of the past. Figures of the shadows overlooked her steps. She had taken the path of no return. Nothing would be like it used to be and never would be the same again.**

**...  
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	2. Chapter 1: Cold Heart

**Chapter 1:**** Cold Heart**

It was calendar year 1240, as one of the wheels of destiny, after 40 years of being rigidly bount, seemed to set motion once again, getting out of its stoic position. Oh so slowly, the sand of time rippled down, as the story begins, taking place on Oran.

Oran, a small isolated Island in the ocean, far away from the mainland. War had torn apart the Island from within, changed the once so alive island. An invisible barrier built around, stopped the time; the world around moved on while in Oran everything seemed to stay still. For the survivors and generation born there the whole world was only this island, as if nothing else existed in their clouded mind, they lived their life without looking around. Now and then people came from the mainland but they never really became accepted, they became the Outsiders of Oran.

Where democratized and arranged order once was, now only a display of masquerade existed, while brute strength ruled the street. If you are strong you make the rules, if weak you wont be able to live like you want it. The heroin of our story followed this rule as she was living alone in Oran. She grew strong as the years passed and didn't let others look down on her or do what their wanted as it was her life and her will which kept her going.

In a narrow alley of Oran, where darkness and shadows ruled during a cold autumn night, it started...

"Spare me pl.." He pleaded, sweat dripping down from his chin. She didn't care for his pleading. Her fist collided with full force into his stomach. His words died on his lips while he coughed for air. Stumbling back he tipped some trashcans down with him as he crashed on the wall, slumbering down and using the wall as support while his arms wrapped around his stomach.

Breathing heavily he looked up to his attacker, his vision blurry from the banks of his brown hair and his mind clouded from the pain. These emerald eyes shone so bright in the dim lighted side-street while everything around them was so dark. The boy felt a cold chill running down his spine, looking at them; no emotion to spare for him in these eyes. He felt so small under the glare, feeling as if his existence would be frozen under them.

She grabbed his collar roughly and made him stand up. His weak legs barely holding him up as his stomach still send jolts of pain and his lungs were begging for more air.

"Please…" Again he pleaded, wanting to get away. He saw the anger flare up in her eyes due to his cowardly pleading. As it was cowardly and for the weak, who believed that it would get them out of any situation. For those who chained themselves on the hope that out there someone would come for their aid and that everything would turn out good. "..Let me."

It was enough of this pitiful display as she ended his pleading with her knee. "Where are the drugs?" Her voice was a mere whisper, her tone sharp. She hammered him against the wall. Her eyes were narrowed. She gave him to understand that if he wouldn't do what she said he would deal with the consequences. "Spit it out!" she growled.

His hand was shaking, he was far unable from keeping it still as he got the drugs out of his pocket. So much he wished in his mind to not be here. A small transparent plastic bag with pink drugs followed his hand out of the pocket. He didn't manage to hold it as the sweat in his hand made it slip out of his grasp to the ground. Before he had the chance to take another look at his attacker's a fist punched him down.

"Never show up here again, bastard." She growled, smashing the pills with her boot. She picked the plastic bag up and let the drug dust fall to the ground above the unconscious boy.

With a last glare down, she made her way. Her eyes looked steady ahead, not watching anything particularly in her view, not looking back, as she made her way out of the side street.

As the 16 year old girl stepped finally out of the side street a cold wind breeze welcomed her, letting her long blue hair sway slightly in the wind. She kept her hands in the pocket of her black jacket, still feeling her skin on her frist burning from the impacts of the hits. She liked the feeling of the sting it left afterward's. She turned to her right heading somewhere else, but nowhere in particular.

"Hey Cold Heart." A white haired guy called the blue haired girl. With his back he leaned against the wall near the entrance of the side street where the girl had just came out. His expression was serious, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Cold Heart stopped in her tracks, turning her head to the side, with a short glance she acknowledged him as a currier. It gave not many people who knew her street name and even less who would have dare to call her. Without saying anything she studied him and his friend, shooting them both an unimpressed look.

The white haired guy smirked seeing the look, he was smart enough to not cause anything which would lead into a fight with the girl. He was in his 23 year and had gained enough experience to know with whom it was wise not to pick any fight. His friend on the other hand hadn't been so long in the business to that. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced shortly at the one head shorter boy by his side, who had his arms folded in front of his chest looking angrily at Cold Heart. He had made sure to give his companion exact introduction how to act.

"He is waiting for you…" The older guy said, watching how Cold Heart turned her head back. Of course the girl knew from whom he was talking about. In all Oran it gave only one who would send a courier to her. "…at the usual place."

Cold Heart left the two guys standing there and continued her walk which had been interrupted by them. A frustrated blow of air she let out of her nose as the wondered what he wanted from her this time.

As Cold Heart was far enough the young boy spited to the side growling in the direction of her. "I hate that bitch, expertly these weird eyes and the way she looks down on us." He said in an angry voice.

Amused about the outburst the young man looked at the boy. "Watch that mouth of yours boy. Or did you forget what she did with you, Speedy?"

Speedy gave him a sharp look, his hands tightened to fists. "Tz.. She just was lucky, Oldster!"

Oldster gave his companion a strict look. "You need far more than simple luck to live on the streets." He said before making his way to the side street, from which Cold Heart had come. "Common, lets see what the girl had done there."

Speedy needed a moment to got out of the state, rarely he saw his older friend be so serious. "Oi wait!"

How true Oldsters words lay in the air. Luck had nothing to do with living on the street, with winning a fight or struggling to be out where gangs and corruption ruled. On the street hope died with time, for those who choose to live there. Or those who had no other choice.

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Cold Heart didn't bother to take the time to knock the door as she opened it and burst into the room. The room had long ago served its purpose as meeting place for a small company which had gone bankrupt. Now the building was just as empty as most of the houses in the west area of Oran. Despite the fact that others didn't count the unofficial people in the houses.

Cold Heart moved through the room, along the huge meeting tables, which were positioned into a circle. It was a miracle that everything still seemed fine, as if gangs on their usually routine seemed to love destroying everything to let the frustration out or simply to have fun.

Right before the window was a huge desk placed a bit away from the circle. Cold heart laid her eyes on the man sitting calmly behind the desk on the black leather arm chair. The man was wearing a strange business suit, his black hair had grown a little from the last time Cold Heart saw him, some wild bangs hanging in front of his eyes. With her emerald eyes she studied him while walking up closer to the desk. It was impossible not to tell that he wasn't from the Island as a strange aura always seemed to surround the people from outside. For whose who lived on in Oran they gave the strangers a name, Outsiders. Whose who come from the mainland, whose who shouldn't enter the isolated Island as it didn't want to change or move on.

"It's nice to see you again Cold Heart." The man said, lifting the cup from the desk up to meet his lips. He drank a bit before fixing his eyes at Cold Heart. She never came closer as two or three steps. Her personal space perhaps?

"Make it short Reito." The blue haired girl growled, fixing him with her gaze so that he knew that she had no patience for any of his games.

Reito put a lose strand of hair back in place, giving her a charming smile which had no effect at the girl. Cold like an iceberg, his charms were never working on her, chuckling in his mind he was always amused by how far she would go like that.

He reached to his pocket drawing out a photo, placing it in front of him on the desk. "Your next job."

He took another sip of his coffee, before glancing over the rim at her. "I want you to get an object for me out of this house. It is located in the Rosery street, east of Oran."

"And why should I?" Cold Heart said blankly, glaring at the photo of the said house. It was a simple family house from what she could see, surrounded by a high green bushes and fences.

Reito knew that he would need more than this to get the girl to work, as she never took any commands from others. She did what she wanted, and didn't take orders in a good way. A smile found its way to his lips, while his eyes had a challenging glimmer in them. "A small job like this should not be of any problem or should it?"

Reito's eyes had a satisfied look as Natsuki's hands came hard down on the wood of the desk. Her body leaned lightly forth, her voice sounding dangerously low as he had tricked her temper to flare up. "Say again?"

"Now now." Reito lifted his hand in a soothing manner. "You know that I was just joking." His amused expression vanished, giving her a serious look. " I await you tomorrow around 10pm here." In addition he put a small brown folder next to the photo which he had gotten out of his pocket too.

‚Damn' She cursed her short temper how she had fallen into his smug trick. "Tsk." With a last glare she took the folder and the photo leaving Reito alone.

The door closed rather loudly as Cold Heart left in a really bad mood. Reito sighed. 'So troublesome'

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**- Oran streets – **

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The wheels of her motorbike squealed as she suddenly made a hard break to stop and park her bike. A light smell of burned gum from the wheels filled the air for a moment. Taking the helmet off from her head she let her hair fall back into place covering half of the picture on the back of her jacket, a bleeding heart which was pierced by a sword form above.

She made her way to the near supermarket as she needed some food before she would search a new place to stay the night over. Cold Heart walked straight to the small shop some meters away.

The bell of the shop rang as the door opened announcing the entrance of a new customer. The cashier, a middle aged man in his thirty looked up smiling but felt a cold chill running down his spine as he noticed the strange eye-colour of Cold Heart. The usual greeting got stuck in his throat as he was unable to say anything and instead concentrated on the woman in front of the cashier point who wanted to pay.

Cold Heart didn't need long as she grabbed fast some finished sandwiches and a cola-beer for later. She didn't bother to look up as she reached the cashier point. She could feel the strange looks of the people around her, she could tell that none was friendly, could tell that they waited for something to happen. It didn't matter to her as she had learned long ago to ignore these stares.

With a troubled smile the cashier greeted Cold Heart and scanned her stuff telling her the price. He jerked back as her gaze turned up and she put the money on the table.

Cold Heart was about to go out as she was stopped by a woman with long brown hair who was occupied finding a way out of the shop without letting any of the two full bags in her hand drop down. As her mood was already foul at that time, her patience soon went off and she stepped closer but stll keeping her personal space.

"Hurry up." Cold Heart growled. „Or I help you." Everyone who would have clear ears could have heard the dangerous undertone in that voice. And those who watched her would see how her hands balled into tight fists. The blue haired girl was ready to give the woman in the front a hard push so the way would be finally free for her to go.

But before the street kid could make an attempt of push the brown haired woman in front, turned around giving Cold Heart one of the bags, invading her personal space. "Ah thank you that would be a great help." The woman brightly smiled seeming to have not noticed anything. Unlike the other customers who were watching the scene curiously.

As the woman turned around and walked, Cold Heart shot a short cold glare around before grinding her teeth and following the woman. The received bag had much more weight as it seemed. Cold Heart studied the woman next to her who talked friendly as if the two of them were friends and known each other for so long. The young girl noticed the strange aura which surrounded the woman, the same she always noticed on Reito. Well it weren't only by that but also the woman's behavior which didn't fit to the behavior of the people in this town. Maybe that was the reason she didnt just let the bag drop to the ground and punched the woman?

"The car is parked some meters away I hope it doesn't make too much trouble." The woman said cheerfully, walking down the street where a few cars were parked.

As they reached the end of the street she noticed a man in a chauffeur suit who stood next to a black lacquer limousine. He had the same aimless gaze like the people from the island, she wondered for a moment why.. but the question was pushed away even before it was formed, deciding not to care and give any pointless thoughts to that matter.

The man walked towards them. "Did you get everything you needed Miss Senho?" He took the bag from the brown haired woman and packed it into the boot of the car glancing at her.

"Yes, thanks for telling me where I could find the shop James-kun." Miss Senho smiled to James who replied with a no problem smile.

Cold Heart could no longer listen to that chit-chat of them. "Oi you!" She called annoyed to James and stepped to him.

James gasped as the blue haired girl suddenly and roughly pressed the bag into his chest. He looked puzzled at the bag and then frowned at the cold gaze and the way Cold Heart hissed dangerously to him. "Watch next time where you send an Outsider dog."

"What's wrong James-kun?" worriedly Miss Senho staring at James who looked pale in the direction where the blue haired girl headed. He saw the symbol on her back . A symbol that only one person had. "Nothing Miss …, it's nothing." He becalmed her and himself aswell, putting the bag next to the other one in the boot.

"It's a pity that she just left I couldn't even ask for her name." Miss Senho said disappointed titling her head to the side.

"…" James kept quiet for he was thankful to not have to deal with that person, as a inhabitant James knew who they had just encountered by rumors.

"Who left?" a female voice asked sweetly, carring a light accent.

" Welcome back Miss Viola." James who had just closed the boot turned around to the source of the voice. He made a slight bow to the young woman who had stopped by him and Miss Senho. Her chestnut colored hair getting tugged by a hand behind a ear from the woman, called Viola. James was dazzled by the beauty, starring fascinated at Miss Viola. He avoided however to look at her eyes as they always had seemed to see through him as long as he knew the young woman.

"Hello Shizuru-san." Miss Senho greeted her friend and classmate, hugging the other one.

"A young girl helped me carry the bags to the car." Shizuru's friend said happily while she and Shizuru were sitting in the back of the car.

"Hm…" thoughtful Shizuru tilted her head to the side, remembering how she passed a young girl which had put something away on her motorbike. Shizuru mused a short moment at the image she had of the girl in her mind. Maybe the said girl was that one her friend mentioned? Two words popped up in her mind as she was thinking about the girl: rebellious and wild. A short glimmer of amusement appeared in her eyes.

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**- - - -**

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The light of the street lamps flickered a short moment before it turned on, casting shadows everywhere. Cold heart walked up to a fenced house, the gate was closed with heavy looking metal chains. She had inspected the house for some time now and knew that no one was there. Without a problem the young girl climbed the fence up being careful at the top to not cut herself on the spear like tops. With a short fall she landed on her feet looking around.

The small garden had grown wild around the grass reaching already her knees. Winter would do the gardener job easily as it tended to be each year a hard winter in Oran. She made her way up to the door, wood had been pinned at the front to avoid reaching the door, a red note drawing Cold hearts eyes to it. "KEEP OUT! UNDER CONSTRUCTION".

Cold Heart snorted at that, ripping the note off and getting one of the woods down. The front door was made out of wood, the upper front having small glass windows in it. Smirking Cold heart got her jacket off covering her hand with it before destroying the glass window near the lock of the door. The glass shattered inside to the ground, she wasn't even worried that someone may have heard the sound and call the police.

Cold Heart closed the door behind her as she slipped inside, her boots making a scotching sound as they stepped on the glass pieces. The house was half filled with plastic covered furniture. It was perfect for a stay, she mused. But nothing she could settle herself with, the feeling of restlessness was nagging inside her already but she had to get a place for the night ignoring it.

Never did she held it long at one place always seeming to move around, staying for some days at one place but then going away to find a new place. Nowhere she felt at home or safe. Cold Hearts eyes closed sighing, her paranoia didn't seem to let her rest ever.

She made her way up to the first floor in a room from which she was able to overlook the street. It was a small room a single sofa placed on the wall. Cold Heart removed the plastic layer to uncover the black color underneath. Carelessly she threw her jacket on the one end sitting down and leaning back.

For the moment she let her eyes rest on the ceiling as it seemed, her mind drifted to the events of the day. She didn't really know what Reito wanted yet as she had to find out tomorrow. ' So bothersome' She thought, the payment which the little jobs she did for the guy weren't so bad. Usually she didnt think much but something irked her this time. She just couldnt grasp what it was.

Her mind wandered from Reito to the brown haired woman which she had met in the supermarket. No fear, nothing of the usual reaction of the inhabits, she had so grown too. Outsiders, they seemed so different from the people here. Frustrated Cold Heart exhaled, she didn't understand that at all, she never been anywhere else as Oran.

Cold Hearts eyes closed as she tried to clear her mind, she wanted to let her thoughts just be thoughts. It was so silent, no noise nothing to disturb her. It shoudl be always like that her mind said.

"Still alive Icy?" So much about the peaceful silence. A dangerous growl came from deep inside the young girl's throat. She should have known that that person would have shown up sooner or later, she didn't like it at all.

"Fuck off Nao." Replied Cold Heart coldly to the sly female voice. She hadn't heard anyone inside the house and she had made sure to lock the front door so that no one would get in, still it seemed Nao always found a away to get to her.

Cold Heart opened her eyes and looked to the side to take a short glance at the way the voice of Nao had come from. The girl with the red hair was looking at her nails leaning against the window sill. As Nao noticed Cold Heart's glance she let out a sly smile. "You know that I don't have any place to stay." She shrugged the harsh and cold Fuck off from the other room mate off, as it didn't bother her the slightest.

The younger girl growled again but kept quiet this time. She didn't really have the urge to play cat and mouse now. Trying to ignore the other one Cold Heart used her jacket as pillow laying down on the sofa and closing her eyes.

Noa smirked at the display of ignorance, she waited for some seconds before it was time to play with Icy. Without a sound she moved to the sofa leaning over the younger girl. "As Cold as Ever…" Nao said in an amused tone.

As the voice of Nao was so close to her Cold Hearts eyes snapped open in an instant glaring up. "What th" a finger on her lips stopped her from saying more.

'...just how I like Icy' Nao thought, she looked down on Cold Heart. The girl's eyes were just like hers emotionless, eyes which had released that there was nothing in the world like hope.

The blue haired girl didn't stop Nao as the girl's face got closer to her and they kissed. Nao literally pinned the blue haired street kid under hear as she laid over her .

**Chapter 1: Cold Heart end. **


	3. Chapter 2: Turning Wheels

**Authors note:**

Thanks for the reviews glowie,Silver Ice Bullet, sohma and Jyuami ^_^ (I replied them already back in a note like I will do it from now on instead of replying before the chapter). Also thanks to everyone who fav and made alert to my story :3

Oh and big thanks goes to Irina67 and Jyuami for helping me out with my crappy English :P

One last thing before you start reading this goes to sohma^^

I am well aware that my English isn't the best and that for some people who have English as native language it must sound and even sometimes look horrible but ***shrugs*** I really try my best^^ (oh and thanks for the error I didn't see it in chap 1 I will correct it later with Aois last name^^)

And why I am rewriting what ended once? Simple ^^ I learned, and I think I am far better now with my writing as I was 2 years ago. I simply don't wanna leave the story as it is because just looking at it makes me wanna hide xD so yeah that it is :P

AND NOW TIME FOR THE CHAP 2!!!!!!!!

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Chapter 2: turning wheels

The tiny hand of the silver watch ticked forward with each passing second. There was an atmosphere of utter chill in the room. Nothing indicated that were was a serious business going on. The matter of tonight's meeting had been discussed already. Short explanation and the map of the construction plan rested untouched on the desk near the window, right in front of the outsider named Reito.

The man sipped calmly from his coffee waiting for a specific call. It was half past ten; everything went smoothly so far, even his thief had shown up minutes before the actual time. Which was uncommon considering the thief being one of the most rebellious street kids in this region, and that she was known for not being there on time in most circumstances. He could only guess that someone had disturbed her peace and he had a good idea who it could have been. He knew only one person that was always able to find the kid no matter where she was.

Reito moved his free hand up, moving a wild strain of hair out of his view. Maybe he should cut them in the near future as they had grown quite a lot since the last trim, he thought. His gaze landed on the lone figure on the half shadow-covered wooden table in the middle of the room.

He mused how such an ignorant being could exist. Why had it never accrued to Cold Heart to go, to run from the deserted island which held nothing but grayness to life. For Reito she was a diamond, hidden under all the stones on Oran. Rough and unpolished, but still unique on this island. Formed by the rule of the broken requiem.

_'The strong rule. The weak die.'_ A obsolesce and barbaric law, but it still seemed to work well.

While Reito was busy thinking, Cold Heart played with the silver dagger in her hand. The dagger had a ring holder on the handle which made it a lot easier to get it out of the halter on Cold Hearts thigh. She led the dagger flip once more in the air before catching it and putting it fast back in the halter. Her emotionless expression was betrayed by the constant fiddling with her dagger. A habit of hers to keep herself cool and detatched.

A chuckle from Reito caused her look up. Raising her brows in question, she glanced at him, thinking maybe he had finally lost it. Not that it would have surprised the blue haired girl, to tell the truth, she had always considered him crazy for being here for years. Her hand was securely placed over the dagger handle, her finger tracing over the solid surface of the ring.

Reito noticed that he had caught unwillingly the attention of his follower. "Ah it's nothing, I was just thinking." Cold Heart couldn't help but see the amusement in his eyes. He didn't explain his recent thoughts to her, nor did she care much about them anyway. The silence was broke by the ringing of Reito's cell phone. The signal. It was time.

Her emerald eyes watched as Reito listened to the other end of the call. She could guess the he had some guy checking out the area for them. Why else would they continue to sit around and waste precious time. His amused expression left his face, and the usual strict and business-like thin line of his mouth told Cold Heart everything she wanted to know. It was time for work.

Pushing aside the relaxed and easy going side of her companion, since he was quite serious when it came to work, she doubted if he would ever personally dirty his hands. Instead he seemed to prefer to work behind the scene. Experience had taught her this, since she started working for him. But who cares? The payment was always good, and money doesn't stink.

Fleet-footed she hoped down from the table, and dusted her pant off. From Reito's direction she could hear him saying "Good work. No that's all for tonight, bye."

The black haired man clapped the phone shut and got up. Soon he was followed on his way by Cold Heart who walked behind him as they got to his black car, which was parked just outside the building. Even as they walked together she kept her personal space of two steps behind without noticing, too absorbed by thinking about the building plan Reito had shown her, while her hands were busy getting the black gloves on.

Just before they reached their destination, Reito turned the lights of his car off, and drove into a side street that was barely lit, but still had a good view of the targeted house. Cold Heart gave a short glance at the watch on Reito's wrist. 11pm, not an hour for people who are wary of their life to be out. Unless you know the streets like her.

"Got the plan?" Reito asked. His hands firmly holding the wheel while his eyes never left the street. He wanted the job done smoothly and mostly without disturbings; a successful mission would grant a really high price after all.

The girl next to him got a white mask out of the glove conpartment in front of her. The mask was plain white without any distinguishing features. Just two holes for the eyes. It always reminded Cold Heart of the old ninja masks that she had seen in comics. Nao would always teased her about it, referring to it as kinky. Secretly she found it cool. Not that she would ever admit it.

The mask covered her face completely, except for her emerald eyes. She gave him a short nod before opening the door and slipping out. She could feel the cold breeze of winter under the sweater on her skin. Maybe she should have chosen a thicker one, but then again the girl knew with the upcoming adrenalin rush of the robbery, the one she had would be fine. No, the thin sweater was just right for this matter.

"I will see you in 2hours. Don't be late." The door of the car closed, and Reito drove away. She would get it, he was sure of it.

In the distance the sound of driving car faded. Cold Heart took a moment to prepare herself mentally. Perhaps another grown habit? Her mind was only focused on the current task, her vision so dark and blind while her eyes were closed. Her eternal follower welcomed her, surrounding her in an embrace of darkness, shadows which followed her wherever she was, wherever she would go.

In no time she made her way to the house. It was an easy task to climb up the metal fence. Her mind registered how the garden looked so different compared to the one where she spent the previous night. It was a minor detail which lead her to the conclusion that the house was not as empty and lifeless as it seemed from far away.

On her way around the house she checked carefully for any sign of light but none was seen. Reito had been short on the information about the inhabitants of the house, saying that the guys told him that they saw a car driving away with two people. Cold Heart considered that as a good sign for whoever lived there, as she wouldn't allow anyone to get in her way. She was determined to finish this little job of hers. Her movements stopped as she reached the window of the kitchen, it was just like the plan of the house.

The house seemed to be nothing special, more like keeping a ghost of the glory it once had, a result of it's old age. To Cold Heart's luck, she had enough experience with these kinds of houses and knew some tricks to geting in easy. It was not the first time that she got into such a house, the windows were outdated and if someone added enough pressure against the end where the locker was, it annulled itself and freed the way.

Carefully and without making much noise the blue haired girl slipped in, closing the window behind her. Her eyes scanned the room. The floor was completely white, all covered in tiles and everything was tidy. It was without a doubt the kitchen. Strangely Cold Heart could smell under her mask a sweet scent in the air, but her mind could not match it to anything she had encountered yet, taking to account that the street smell was anything else but sweet.

It was not the right time to stay, she didn't know when the people would come back, and for sure she didn't want to risk greeting them in their own house. As she moved, her eyes scanned the corners for any suspicious movement. Silently she sneaked out, entering a room which had only the door-less kitchen as light source, provided by the street lamps outside. She followed the plan exactly in her mind, passing the front door, followed by the stairs, until she reached the door.

Cold Heart made sure to avoid making sounds as much as possible by getting the door handle down and opening the door a slit to check if everything was clear. After a passing second of seconds, being sure that it was clear, Cold Heart sneaked inside. The low light of the previous areas made it easier for her eyes to adjust, and she was able almost to see, even in the darkness of the new room, which didn't have any window. Even so, it wasn't enough for her to search though. She wasn't comfortable in there, a creepy feeling was running down her spine. Out of her pocket she fetched her silver lighter, a small souvenir from somewhere. It was a small light but it would be enough for her to move on and look for what she came for.

As she held the lighter with her hand up above her head, she got a good view of her surroundings: the room was filled with shelves, which again were filled with hundreds of books. As she stepped deeper into the room she seemed to absorb her surrounding, astonished by the overwhelming feeling the view gave her. From the outside looks of the house, nobody could suspect that it was hiding such a room.

A collection of many tomes, fantasy, poetry, and god knows what other type of book, hid itself in the yellowish and dusty catchers. While she moved she couldn't help but look around, taking as much of the area as she could. A part in her mind reminded her to be careful and that it was not the time to get side tracked. The same part of paranoia that crept along with her every step.

Be careful. Don't stay too long. Don't rest. She couldn't explain when the sense of danger was born, but she decided to listen to it, and stopped her distracted gaze, turning it back in front of herself. The other end of the library hosted again a maze of books, the shelves covering the whole wall. As she turned to the left, the finger of her free hand slipped into the ring of the dagger and pulled it out of the shaft.

Cold Heart perked her ears as she slowly began to tap every book of the fourth line near the corner from above. Somewhere here it had to be, the hidden treasure. Only when the strange sound echoed through the tap of her dagger, did the girl stopped her movements. Her brows frowned, she had expected a shallow sound instead of a metallic one. She tapped again against the book which had on its back engraved with gold letters the title 'S-L-A-V-E'.

It was indeed a metallic sound. The second tap of her dagger proved that she hadn't heard wrong. Cold Heart put the dagger back into its shaft on her thigh, before touching the book. It wasn't really a unique hiding place for a treasure, more of a common one. Maybe it was unique in the fact that it was hidden in a library full of shelves and books? Either way, Cold Heart guessed, while pushing the book inside, that if Reito wouldn't have been so well informed about the whereabouts, she would have spent hours trying her luck and searching for it. The book was pushed back several centimetres before a low click sounded and Cold Heart stepped to the side as something bumped her underneath the shelve.

The trigger had opened a hidden drawer just under it, revealing a small box only now did she bring the lighter closer to get a better view of the object. First thing she noticed as she got the box out was that It wasn't bigger than her hand, neither was is it made of any special material; it was a simple dark brown wooden box. To her surprise however, it had an unexpected amount of weight. She guessed that whatever was inside was the desired object of tonight's job.

_'I want you to get me the box'_, Reito's words still echoed in her ears. She watched how the drawer got pulled back and was once again hidden while the trigger clicked for a second time this night. 'What was so important for Reito to come all the way from the mainland to Oran?' Cold Heart wondered. She had made the mistake to think too deeply into the matter, staring down at the box in her hand. Rule 1 while doing a robbery: don't get side tracked. Rule 2: don't think about unnecessary stuff. She had lost the focus on her surroundings. A hissing sound taught her the lesson and reminded her of the rules. But it was too late.

Cold Heart jerked, the box slid down from her hand in the motion, and crashed on the carpet floor. The sound of the fall was somehow silenced up by the carpet, but Cold Heart's heartbeat had increased in a second as her emerald eyes searched the room wildly. She could feel the adrenaline pumping up in her veins. The lighter to her misery had just then decided to show that it was running low on gas. Oh luck didn't seem to be her friend tonight.

Every muscle in her body tensed up, her ears perked to hear if there was any hissing sound or any sound which was out of place. But for the moment all she heard was her loud heartbeat that drummed inside her. Maybe her ears were playing a dirty prank on her. Slowly after seconds of waiting, she let herself go into a crouching position keeping the lighter off to save gas. Carefully her hand reached ahead, where she had dropped the box.

Her glove-covered hand found the box just a foot away from her, but to her big horror the box was open. The fall on the floor must have cause the cap of the box to open. Quickly, she tried to use the lighter to find whatever had been inside the box.

Her eyes scanned the floor around her. The light was getting dimmer and dimmer.

A low hissing caught her attention, it came right from the opposite direction. Her head moved up, looking towards the sound. The dim light was of no use. It was only good enough to show one foot ahead of her, so it failed completely to show what was just on the other site of the room opposite of herself.

Her breath stuck in her throat as she gazed at four red lights, two lights moving together, which seemed to float just above the ground making strange movements. Her eyes were fixed on the red points unable to make her body move. A strange thought crossed her mind as she stared at the lights: they resembled eyes. Two pairs of eyes. Where that came from she didn't know, but as time was passing she was even more sure of what she was looking at, were two pairs of eyes. To her surprise, a third pair appeared, as if just had decided to open up.

It caught the girl's curiosity to know what it was, telling herself that her mind probably started to play games with her. Maybe something she drank today was causing her to see illusions? Her hand reached slowly to the empty box right next to her. She waited a single moment, studying what the pairs of eyes would do. But as they continued to sway on the same spot Cold Heart quickly threw the box at it. She made sure to not use full force, not wanting to gain unnecessary attention.

_'Fuck, what was that!'_ She breathed out as she walked to the other end. The eyes had disappeared and in their place there was the object which had been in the box and the empty box that she had just thrown.

Whatever she had seen was gone. But what was it? Did she really just imagine the red eyes? Cold Heart shook her head to clear her mind. The tension in her body didn't seem to want to go away. She felt watched as if every move was being observed. Her eyes narrowed in frustration of the loss of calmness.

Without picking the box back up she simply took the object. It was a stone, engraved with some strange runes on it which she didn't know. It was so familiar looking at the stone. It was as if she had held it before and looked at it…

It was a strange feeling. So urgent. Dangerously tempting; and at the same time familiar and calming. She let her thumb run over the middle symbol. A flash of anger flared up in her eyes and she made her way to the door.

If anything it stirred her up. Then was it the thought of the time. Why now? What connection did she have with this stone? Her head shaking, she had what she came for, and now she would fuck off. Out of this house and give the stone away to get rid of it.

Cold Heart planned to use the same way back like she came in as she carefully closed the door of the library behind her. Everything was still silent. She slipped the lighter back into her jeans pocket while, for a strange reason, her hand tightened around the stone. She knew that the more time she wasted in this place the higher the chance was to get caught.

With steady steps she walked back to the kitchen soon she would be out of this house that made her feel so uncomfortable. The anger had almost calmed down. But the feeling of eyes on her back didn't leave. No matter how much she looked around she couldn't see anyone, could not hear a single being, besides her own breath.

The window of the kitchen was right in her sight. With her hand she grabbed the handle of the window; she just had to open it. Cold Heart didn't care that she left tracks behind as long as no one noticed it till she was away. In the corner of her eye she saw a red point on the shelve sitting just there.

_'Just my imagination'_ she comforted herself. But the hissing growl was too real even for her to keep it as imagination. In a flash, there was movement and the girl's head turned to the side. Squinting to get a better look at the thing that seemed to get in her way since she arrived here.

Her eyes opened wide, her pupils concentrating on the thing in front of her. It had towered itself up, it's eyes fully focused on it's pray. The light from the window was reflecting on its dark purple scales. Then suddenly, it jumped without any hesitation.

Cold Heart's body moved out of reflex, letting go of the handle, and ducked down in time. Only a millisecond later and that thing would have been on her for sure. She quickly turned around getting a better look at the creature. It's heads towered back up opening their mouths and showing their long fangs ready to dig inside of her flesh. Cold Heart pressed her back on the counter right behind herself.

Was this the thing which she had seen in the library? The heads seemed to wag back and forth, left and right. Three heads, six eyes stared angrily at her. This time she had no box to throw at the snake, if she could considered it a snake. Her eyes studied the creature. The end of the tail was raised lightly up from the ground, its end formed like a spear, and it moved around wildly. The body was long and slender around the same length as the heads throats. Cold Heart could make out a unique texture on the scale of the body. Strange how minor details come into focus in the strangest circumstances.

Her right hand reached down to the dagger, her hand nearly around the handle. The middle head growled and again Cold Hearts body reacted in time as the snake head spited at her. She rolled to the side, and felt a burning sensation on her arm. A hiss escaped her lips as she got up into a crouching position, the dagger firmly in her hand. She looked at her arm where she felt a light burning, some of the fabric of the sweater was burnt away, as a result of the spit. The same was happening to parts of the wood on the counter.

_'Gotta be a joke.' _She thought. Her left hand was still tightly holding the stone, while she looked at the creature and around it, trying to find a way to pass the little pest in front of her. Her eyes fell for a second on the window before returning back on the snake…but it was gone.

Her eyes blinked fast. Had that thing used the millisecond to get away? Just how fast was this monster? Cold Heart cursed, her body whirled quickly around in her crouched position. This was the worst time for her to turn her back on that thing and offering the chance to be attacked from behind. Pressing her back to the counter, she tried to check around the two corners.

It was no where in sight. Her head turned again to the side getting a peek around the corner as suddenly something dropped down on her right shoulder, making a weird wet sound. Automatically her left hand,still holding the stone, moved up touching her shoulder. It smeared and seemed to glue on her gloved hand. "What the hell?"

Cold Heart's focus turned to her shoulder, and noticed a strange liquid dripping down on her shoulder from a knocked over glass on the cupboard's edge. The girls eyes narrowed, the glass wasn't tipped over before. This game of cat and mouse was slowly sickening her, since she wasn't used to being someone else's pray. "Clever" she whispered feeling a cold chill run down her spine, the hair of her neck standing up.

It gave her no time to react as the three headed snake was on her from the opposite side of her attention. Yet just in time she managed to lift her left arm in defence, blocking the thing away from ripping her throat open.

Cold Heart felt something pierce the skin on her arm and wrist. "Argh." She hissed in pain, losing her balance and falling down with the thing. In the tumble, the dagger fell out of her hand, while in reflex her other hand made her grip even tighter around the stone.

With her free hand the girl tried to get rid of the thing. But the more she pulled the harder it sank it fangs into her flesh, and tightly wrapped its body around her arm. "Stupid son of a bitch." She hissed reaching her free hand towards the dagger that lay just a meter away. Her bitten hand was feeling numb, and before she could do anything against it, the stone fell out of her grasp. Just as quickly as it had attacked her, it let go, and using one of its mouths, took the stone with it.

"Stay here!" She growled, grabbing her dagger and following the thing as fast as she could. She didn't seem to care about her arm that much; besides the adrenalin was already numbing the pain. She had to get the stone back to finish her job no matter what. She could see the wiggling movements of her attacker a few meters in front of her. It was fast without a doubt and it had already reached the stairs, moving up.

While she rushed up the stairs a realization hit her. The wiggling movements and even the hissing reminded her something that she had seen and heard before. It was a snake… with three heads? …The realization slowed her down enough to see the snake disappearing already in a room just at the right end of the floor.

It was a snake with three freaking heads… 'Things like these don't exist!', her rational mind screamed. It didn't matter! She growled more to herself as anyone else. Sure it freaked her out but the anger of being robbed by that thing made her furious.

Cold Heart steeled herself for whatever would lay behind the door, the dagger in her healthy right hand held tight. Slowly she pushed the door more open ready to defend herself but nothing came.

As she casted a glance inside, the room was almost pitch black, her eyes caught the sight of a wide open window. She made sure to close the door behind herself to cut the escape route, if the thing was still inside anyways. 'It better be dead, smashed on the ground' She thought going straight to the window to cast a look down. She was above the first floor, and looking out the window and could make out a bush, but no sign of the thing which had stolen the stone from her and dared to attack her.

Sweat dripped down her face, strangely Cold Heart felt damn hot under the mask. She had to get the mask off, to wipe away the sweat. Looking over her shoulder she glanced around the room again, but the light from outside barely reached her. She was able to distinguish where the bed was, the fine folded sheet on the foot-end of the bed was giving away its place. The way to the floor was visible too but the other part of the room was shrouded in darkness.

The girl tried to focus her eyes if she could make out anything, but it was in vain. She could see nothing. She saw no red eyes and heard no hissing sound. She guessed that the thing maybe had hidden itself somewhere since it didn't jump at her yet. She was expecting that it would when she entered the room.

Cold Heart took a step back, leaning with her back against the wall. She knew that it was risky to let her guard down. Keeping the dagger in her hand, she moved the mask up revealing her face. She felt as if she had caught a bad fever, her body was like burning. The cold wind from the window near her, felt damn good on her skin. With her free hand she wiped sweat away from her face, as her nostrils took in a metallic sent. She froze, just releasing what she had forgotten in her anger.

Her expression took a horrified sight on as she saw for the first time the outcome of the attacker's work. The sleeve of her black sweater was torn on several places, she had to take care of the wounds as soon as she would reach her place. "You better come out bitch or I will seriously cut every single one of your heads off!" She threatened low, letting a deep growl escape her throat.

Even if that three headed snake thing would actually come out and giving her the stone, Cold Heart was sure that she would still cut off its heads for daring to attack her. And also who the fuck would keep such a freakish thing? What was it, a watch dog?

"Ara what for a murderous threat. " A female voice replied out of the dark corner of the room right in front of Cold Heart. Yes it did get Cold Heart by surprise since she didn't expect a reply to her threat. Or maybe she had, but rather a hissing from the snake than a female voice with an accent. And a quite exotic one too, the girl registered in her mind.

TBC…

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If you rreally liked this chapter and want more plz leave a review ^_^

p.s. I will try to update the story monthly (status of how the chapter is going will be shown in my DA account)


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